State Representatives travel to attend the Christening of USS Colorado, the newest of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarines
State representatives, members of the Colorado 30 Group, USS Colorado Commissioning Committee, Submarine Veterans and members of the USS Colorado Battleship Association, 10 of whom actually served onboard the WWII Battleship, will be traveling to Groton, Conn. this week for Saturday’s Christening ceremonies of the USS Colorado (SSN 788) to be held at the General Dynamics Electric Boat Division shipyard.
Senator Michael Bennet and Congressional Representative, Ed Perlmutter will be seated with the official party. State Senators Bob Gardner, Larry Crowder, State Representative Kim Ransom, and former State Senator, Mary Hodge have requested invitations. They will join a state total of 150 persons, for a shipyard-sponsored event totaling 3000 attendees.
Ship’s Sponsor, Annie Mabus, daughter of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, will break a bottle of sparkling Colorado wine, produced by Balisteri Vineyards of Denver, chilled in a bucket of water drawn from the Colorado river, in ceremonies to be conducted Saturday, 3 December. This centuries old tradition is believed to bring good luck and safe travel to the vessel.
USS Colorado is the 15th of the Virginia class nuclear attack submarines. Following the Christening, she will be launched and undergo sea trials, with the commissioning scheduled later in the summer of 2017.
USS Colorado is a Block III version of the Virginia class and features improved sonar, multi-function payload tubes and photonic masts in place of traditional periscopes. Her mission is to stealthily operate near other countries’ coasts, gathering intelligence or, when necessary, delivering cruise missiles, torpedoes, mines, drones, and special operations teams, deploying underwater via a lockout chamber.
The boat carries an S9G pressurized water reactor. This reactor powers the vessel for its entire lifecycle of 33 years without ever needing refueling. The pump-jet propulsor replaces the traditional propeller to add additional stealth. She is manned by a crew of 135.
All Coloradans should be particularly proud to have a capitol ship of the United States Navy named after our great State. The last ship to bear the name USS Colorado was a highly decorated WWII Battleship BB-45, commissioned in 1923, over 90 years ago.
For more information on the ship and the work of the State’s USS Colorado Commissioning Committee see: http://usscoloradocommittee.org